Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is biodiversity?

A. Defenders of Wildlife, in its publication, “Oregon’s Living Landscape,” defines biodiversity as “the variety of life and its processes.” A widely-accepted variation on this definition includes: “the variety of living organisms, the genetic differences between them, the communities and ecosystems in which they occur, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that keep them functioning, yet ever-changing and adapting.”(1)

Biodiversity encompasses species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

• Species diversity is the variety of species on earth, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, viruses, bacteria, fish, fungi, plants, invertebrates, and insects.
• Genetic diversity is genetic variation in individual plants, animals, and humans.  Genetic variations create individual characteristics and allow species to adapt to changing conditions and new diseases.
• Ecosystem diversity is the variety of habitats and climates on earth and the interactions between ecosystems and species. These ecosystems provide species, including humans, with food, shelter, clean air, clean water, and help to regulate climate.

Q. There are so many species on earth, why will it matter if we lose a few?

A. Extinction is a natural process, but with so many species at risk of extinction due to human activities, extinction is currently several times the normal, or background, rate.  We are losing species more quickly than normal evolutionary processes can replace.  Once a species becomes extinct, its role in its ecosystem is eliminated, leaving a void and weakening ecosystem function and services. The ecosystem and, thus, other species, including humans, are no longer as resilient to further ecological damage.

Q. How many identified species exist in the United States?

A. According to a study published by the Smithsonian Society, 204,000 of the approximately 400,000 to 600,000 species contained in the United State have been identified.

Q. Doesn’t the federal Endangered Species Act protect species from extinction?

A. Few, if any, federal laws or programs address protection of plants, animals, and ecosystems before they become imperiled. While the federal government can regulate interstate commerce and has developed several environmental laws beyond the Endangered Species Act (e.g., Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, etc.) under the U.S. Constitution, individual states bear most of the responsibility for managing wildlife within their borders.

Although federal programs provide some protection to species, states are better able to identify species loss and conservation needs within their borders. We need more than the minimum reactionary federal protections provided by the Endangered Species Act. States can heed the early warning signs and take a proactive stance to protect animals and plants before they become federally listed.

Q. What are the threats to biodiversity?

A.

• Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation – agricultural conversion, urbanization, wetland draining, forest fragmentation;
• Water use – infrastructure changes, irrigation, municipal use;
• Environmental contaminants and pollution;
• Global climate change;
• Over-exploitation – over-fishing, over-hunting, poaching and non-animal impacts like over-grazing; and
• Invasive species.

Q. Where can I find biodiversity information for my state?

A.

• NatureServe serves as a coordinating body for the network of state natural heritage programs. Each state program maintains its own database of information on rare species throughout their state on both public and private lands.
• USGS (United States Geological Survey) Gap Analysis Programs (GAP) – Every state either has completed GAP or anticipates completion of GAP by 2005. These programs are designed to take an inventory of species and ecosystems in each state.

Q. What is GAP?

A. GAP (geographic approach to planning) refers to the Gap Analysis Program of USGS. GAP programs analyze the distribution of animals throughout a state’s various vegetation communities (i.e., habitat types), in an attempt to identify gaps in protection of land areas that are rich in biodiversity and should be managed for conservation.

The gap approach is based on three main assumptions:

1. The best time to save species is while they are still common;
2. It is cheaper to maintain natural populations than it is to intensely manage endangered populations; and
3. While we cannot perfectly model biodiversity, we can use what we know about the distributions of vertebrate species and vegetation types to assess biodiversity at local, state, regional, and national levels.

Q. What will impede statewide biodiversity strategies?

A. Every state has the potential to map out a strategy for biodiversity protection on lands within their borders. However, lack of political support, funding, and coordination among resource agencies, environmental organizations, land trusts, land use planners, and other stakeholders could undermine even the best, most strategic biodiversity plans.

Q. What is currently being done to protect biodiversity?

A. Some states have implemented policies and programs to protect open space and endangered species, preserve natural lands, curb sprawl, and develop urban renewal programs. A comprehensive plan to protect biodiversity cannot merely preserve small patches of undisturbed open land; it should steer development away from ecologically sensitive areas and connect larger habitat areas in an integrated network of conservation lands. Five states (OR, FL, MA, MD, NJ) have completed statewide assessments and strategies and another five (CA, VT, IN, DE, NH) have programs that are well underway.

Examples of state conservation efforts include:

• The Florida Forever program is a thorough land acquisition mechanism, funded by the sale of Florida Forever bonds, which also restores damaged environmental systems, develops water resources and supplies, increases public access, manages and maintains public lands, and acquires conservation easements.
• Maryland’s GreenPrint Program is based on satellite mapping of green infrastructure – vital ecological areas – and preserves, and links these unprotected areas through strategic acquisitions and easements.
• The Maryland Waterfowl Restoration Program offers landowners income tax benefits and technical assistance for a 10-year agreement to create, develop, rehabilitate, and/or preserve a contiguous 10 acres of waterfowl habitat.
• As early as the 1960s, Minnesota started funding a pheasant and wild turkey habitat improvement program with pheasant and turkey stamps; in 1999-2000, it totaled over 5,800 acres.
• The New Jersey Green Acres Program acquires and protects conservation and recreation land, adding to the system of state parks, forests, natural areas, open space, and wildlife management areas, and provides grants and loans to purchase land.
• Oregon legislation, HB 3564, recognizes habitat protection as a legitimate land use, removes obstacles to conservation easements, expands the habitat conservation and management program, creates a “flexible incentives fund,” creates technical assistance guidelines for landowners, and will review, evaluate, report, and make recommendations on current state efforts.